She smiled. “Since you don’t divulge anything on your own, the only way to know anything is to ask.”
“True.”
“That was the hint for you to answer my question by the way,” she teased.
“Before that I worked for the DEA,” he replied.
Drug Enforcement Administration? She looked him over. Oh yeah. I can see it. It explained why he carried himself the way he did. Not bad boy, but the confident, don’t mess with me look, with a hint of lethal in his eyes too. The combination was sexy as hell. And definitely not someone she needed to be involved with. They would be like oil and water, not a good mix.
“At least I know you’re one of the good guys. I have to admit, I wasn’t so sure when you told me who you work for,” Krista blurted out. That probably wasn’t a good idea. A person shouldn’t go bashing someone’s boss. But it was too late. Her mouth was once again faster than her brain.
But Connor didn’t seem to be offended by her comment like she assumed he would be. Maybe he knew their reputation. Or maybe my opinion doesn’t matter to him.
“I think we are back to you now. What made you become a doctor?” he asked.
“Not just a doctor, but an OB/GYN. And the answer is simple. When I was young I saw a documentary that was talking about the birth rate or maybe better said the death rate of both mother’s, or their babies during delivery. I was astonished by the high statistics. It was right after the show that I sat down with my parents and I told them I was going to go to college and I was going to dedicate my life to women’s health. Like most parents they smiled and figured it was a phase I was going through. But over the years, my passion and drive only increased. Thankfully I earned a scholarship and the rest is history.”
She couldn’t remember the last time she had shared that story with anyone. It really was only her family who knew why she became a doctor. And now Connor knows too.
“The people of Montpelier are lucky that you did. And I would say that the woman in New York is damn lucky too. If I would’ve gone to the SUV and found her there, all I could’ve done was call 911. There is no way I could have delivered the baby on my own. Hell, I didn’t deliver the baby at all. If you were not there, the truth is, they could’ve been one of those statistics that made you want to become a doctor in the first place.”
A chill ran through her thinking about it. Connor was right. She had only taken a walk after the conference so she could de-stress. But it appears as though that walk was meant to be.
“I may have been the one to deliver the baby, however your contribution was valuable as well. You kept her calm. It was good for both her and the baby. But I have to admit I want to know how they are doing. I’m glad you allowed me to come with you. It felt wrong walking away and never seeing her again.” Forcing a smile Krista added, “doctors always do a follow-up visit, because we love seeing those babies.”
There was a lot more to it than that, but she wasn’t going to get technical. It wasn’t going to be long before they were in New York, and that is where she needed her serious side to come out. For now, she just wanted to enjoy this company. Because once this was over, there would be no reason for them to see each other again.
“I’m just hoping that she’s happy to see us.”
Krista was puzzled. “Why wouldn’t she be?”
Corner laughed. “I don’t know. Maybe because she doesn’t know either one of us? And it didn’t appear as though she understood anything I said, so she might wonder why we were there.”
She had not thought about that. Krista was still trying to figure out what to say in order to get the hospital physicians to release the woman’s contact information. Until they had that, there was no point worrying about how their meeting would go.
“If we get that far, we’ll bring a translator with us.” Connor leaned back and she felt him staring at her. “What?” she asked.
“I’m glad you decided to join me.”
She relaxed. At least he’s not calling me bossy anymore. But the day wasn’t over, and soon she’d need to put her physicians hat back on. Krista wasn’t so sure how he was going to like her then.
Krista could tell herself that she didn’t care what he thought, but she wasn’t one who lied to herself or anyone else. So let’s hope he doesn’t ask.
He must have realized she needed to stay focused, because neither she nor Connor did much talking after that. And when they arrived at the hospital, Connor even agreed to stay in the town car with the drive and let her go inside alone. That had been a wise decision, because she could make it look more like an official visit, opposed to them just wanting personal information which they had no right to.
There was nothing quick about her trip to the hospital either. The attending physician asked her a load of questions. Thankfully, she had a few names she could drop from her recent conference. Knowing the locals really seemed to have helped. After a lengthy tour of the facility and a late lunch in the cafeteria, he finally provided her with the information.
Krista thanked him probably a few too many times, but he soaked it in, along with all the praise she gave him on how well he ran things. She wasn’t just known for her skill as a doctor, but she’d been on the debate team all through high school and college. It had come in very handy today. The more she made him feel good, the easier it became.
But as she left the building and entered the town car, she couldn’t hold back her emotions. It had been stressful and tiring dancing around the question until the end. It’d have been so much easier if she could’ve just walked and asked the records department for a copy of the woman’s file. Of course, that never would’ve happened.
“Well? Did you get it?” Connor asked.
She nodded. “I have her name. But I have something else too.”
“What is that?” he asked.
“Do you remember all the promises I told you to make the last time we were in New York?”